A BINGLEY-based office supply firm will continue to grow after being bought by a major workplace supplier.

Ventura Office Supplies, based in Mill Field Road, has been acquired by Banner, whose headquarters are in Sheffield.

Ventura is one of the UK’s leading independent office product dealers. Banner said the company will add scale and expertise, particularly in educational supplies, computer hardware and office furniture, to its offer of products. All six Ventura staff will be retained following the deal and the company, which had a turnover of £1.4 million in the last full financial year, is continuing to operate from its existing site in Cottingley Business Park and will trade under its previous name.

Andrea Eli, director and owner of Ventura with her partner Hari Athwal, has joined the Banner sales leadership team as sales director. Her wider role will now include managing Banner’s offices in Loughborough, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Swindon offices and the Bingley site. Mr Athwal is now operating as Ventura’s sales manager.

Ms Eli said: “We’re extremely proud of the success we’ve enjoyed with Ventura, but this is absolutely the right time for us to become part of Banner.

“There are significant and increasing restrictions on smaller dealers’ ability to grow their customer bases, product ranges, incomes and resourcing in the current market, without them spending serious money, and this deal releases all those chains we felt were holding us back.

“We’re certain this is an exciting time to be joining Banner.

“We’re excited by the company’s vision of its future - which is very bright indeed - and its extremely strong position in the market.

“We’ve been greatly impressed by the expertise and enthusiasm about the years ahead among Banner’s people from the moment they first approached us.”

Ventura was set up by former Burnley and Leeds striker Roger Eli, Ms Eli and Mr Athwal in 2005.

The deal is more success for Ms Eli, who won the SME Emerging Business Leader prize of the national Women in Business Awards last month, which was organised by Forward Ladies, the UK’s largest support network for women in business.